What Makes a Quality Leather Bag?

Here's What Handcrafted Means to Us

Handcrafted means people who care. It means we are spending hours, days and weeks carefully choosing the best leather hides, cutting, sewing and finishing your leather bag. It's a very hands-on craft and attention to detail matters. We care deeply about these products and how they function in your life. We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase, which we view as only the beginning of the customer relationship.

Quality is Guaranteed

Once the products are completed at the factory and have undergone a thorough quality control process, we could ship them directly to customers. But we don't. Instead, we put them through another rigorous quality control inspection at our warehouse just outside Nashville, Tennessee. Is that overkill? Probably. But that's the point.

Uncommon Materials

Here's why the materials we use make your leather bag so unique and something you'll want to hang on to. 

Full Grain Leather

We use full grain leather to make our leather goods. This is important because most leather products are made of “genuine leather”, which is often not full grain leather. Full grain leather has all of its layers intact and is the strongest form of leather that exudes the most character and ages beautifully.

North American Steer Hides 

We use North American steer hides to make our leather bags and wallets. These are large healthy cattle that produce strong hides. The same type of cattle my Grandpa Wayne raised. 

Solid Brass Hardware

We use solid brass hardware with an antique brass finish. Using real solid brass hardware is rare these days - but it's the way things used to be made. It costs a lot more than most metal hardware for bags. But it’s worth it because it lasts. It feels substantial in your hands and ages well because it’s highly resistant to corrosion and cracking.

Luxury Zippers

I love our zippers. They're made in California - I got to see the factory and it’s quite a place. The machining of the metal is so precise that these zippers practically zip themselves. 

American Heritage Canvas 

We use Martexin Original Wax canvas. Martexin is an American heritage fabric company that’s been around since 1838. The fabrics are truly works of art – thick, durable, and water repellent. They have a substantial feel to them and a toughness and durability that is just what we seek. We use a heavier waxed version for exterior parts and a lighter non-waxed (but water repellent) version for interiors. 

Strong Thread

The thread is often overlooked because it’s pretty boring to think about thread. But without good quality thread, there is no way a bag will last. We use heavy gauge bonded thread to make our leather goods.  

Finished Edges

For exposed edges, we use a high quality edge finishing process. The result is a smooth, tastefully painted or leather covered edge that adds to the durability and aesthetic of the product. It's an expensive and labor-intensive process, but finished edges are one of those details that matter. 

Handcrafted by Artisans

This is an old school process, with each product meticulously handcrafted to last. Most of our products are crafted by artisans in the Dominican Republic specializing in luxury level production. Our watch straps are handcrafted in Italy. We take great pride in our quality and it's central to everything we do.